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Justin Cook Can Impact Pitt in More Ways Than One | Pitt All 105

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Pitt running back Justin Cook during the Blue-Gold spring game. April 12, 2025 -- Ed Thompson / PSN
Pitt running back Justin Cook during the Blue-Gold spring game. April 12, 2025 -- Ed Thompson / PSN

Pitt All 105 is a Pittsburgh Sports Now series profiling each member of the Pitt 2025 training camp roster. In order to prepare for Pitt football’s 2025 season, PSN is breaking down every player on the roster in alphabetical order. Next up is running back Justin Cook.

When Justin Cook transferred to Pitt as a veteran walk-on wide receiver from Division II East Stroudsburg, it was unsure what type of role he would fit into.

Pitt had filled up its receiver room with additional transfer talent and three freshmen, so it was looking unlikely that Cook would see the field much.

However, once in Pittsburgh, head coach Pat Narduzzi and the staff felt they could use the speedy athlete in the running back unit, especially with the lack of numbers during spring ball. On top of that, Cook has experience as an electrifying return specialist.

“Cook’s a talented kid,” Narduzzi said in March. “I’m fired up we have him. Again, he can be a receiver and a running back. We just felt with the running back depth — we got two freshman coming in in July — we’re going to have an opportunity to look at him at the tailback spot. We know he can play wide receiver. We want to see what he can do in the backfield.”

Gold running back Justin Cook (28) makes a move on Blue cornerback Shadarian Harrison (21) at the Pitt Spring Game. April 12, 2025 / Ed Thompson. PSN.

Gold running back Justin Cook (28) makes a move on Blue cornerback Shadarian Harrison (21) at the Pitt Spring Game. April 12, 2025 / Ed Thompson. PSN.

Once drills got underway during spring camp, Cook quickly showed that he could belong as a running back in the Pitt offense. His quickness and elusiveness were evident and brought up comparisons to other running backs on the roster.

“He can be a slash-type guy that can do both. He’s really smart as well. Those guys with football intelligence can do more things. In our running back position, you know with Desmond Reid, he’s going to catch balls out of the backfield, so it’s not like we’re going to just see him carry the ball. To have a guy that’s a receiver that has running back athletic ability and then get him the ball, so we’re going to see his receiver ability and get his [yards after catch] from that position as well,” Narduzzi said.

Pitt now has an additional running back in its unit that can do everything the Panthers need from an impact back.

Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 180 pounds
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.

Prior to Pitt: Cook spent the last three years at East Stroudsburg in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Over the past two seasons, he formed into a standout return specialist and receiver.

As a junior last season, he earned PSAC Eastern Division All-Conference Second Team honors as he caught 32 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 433 kickoff return yards and a touchdown on 18 attempts.

In 2023, he registered 843 kick return yards and a score, while catching 31 passes for 391 yards and a touchdown. He played in eight games as a freshman with 11 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown, along with a program-record 100-yard kick return against Bloomsburg.

Justin Cook

Pitt running back Justin Cook during spring camp. April 10, 2025 — Ed Thompson / PSN

Camp outlook: Cook is in prime position to battle for a spot on the two-deep roster. Behind Desmond Reid, it will most likely be Juelz Goff and potentially Derrick Davis Jr. — depending on how he recovers from injury. However, those are not set in stone as both Cook and freshman Ja’Kyrian Turner will look to make a statement in fall camp.

Cook will also work with the kick returners just as he did in the spring as he brings that experience from East Stroudsburg.

In the spring, Cook received plenty of reps and looked comfortable as a do-it-all back. He compiled 10 rushing attempts for 42 yards and one touchdown, along with 12 receptions and 68 receiving yards in the Blue-Gold spring game.

Projected role: As a transfer senior, Cook will be a viable depth running back for the Panthers. He has a very similar skill set to Reid and Goff and can make people miss and catch the ball out of the backfield.

If the depth chart was released today, Cook would most likely have an ‘OR’ next to his name with Turner for the third spot as long as Davis is still sidelined.

There’s also a likelihood that he could see action in the return game with Reid and some of the other speedy options that Pitt has.

Either way, Cook could be a valuable asset this season for Pitt that fits perfectly into Kade Bell’s scheme.

A quote about Cook: “Justin Cook, you talk about a three-down type back. He’s a more rocked up kid, bigger kid right now. He’s done great in pass pro. He catches out of the backfield because he’s like a kick returner, slot receiver at the school he was at. He shows some toughness, smart kid, too,” Bell said.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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